Contact LLL
LLL Meetings: The next LLL Meeting will take place onThursday 3rd November 2011 at 7.30 pm and will be held in Camden Town Hall.

Read, Research, and Create in Your Library Libraries in London are safe places to learn. “Many students visit libraries to do homework, write essays, and prepare for exams,” explains Meredith, a counselor and homework help specialist from the online service AssignmentGeek.com. Families, teachers, and adult learners use the same spaces to read, research, and get support. Every library offers what many students need. There are quiet desks, free Wi-Fi, computers, printers, and charging points. Many branches have study rooms that you can book. This helps when home is noisy or too crowded for focused work. Librarians are here to help with study questions. They can show you how to find good sources for assignments, how to check facts, and how to cite and reference your work. You can ask for help with basic writing skills, research steps, and finding books or online articles. Libraries also provide free learning tools. You can use ebooks, online journals, language apps, and homework guides with your library card. Some branches run workshops on study skills, essay planning, digital literacy, and revision methods. These sessions are friendly and easy to follow. Libraries welcome everyone. Secondary school students, college students, and university students can all study here. If English is not your first language, you will still find clear signs, calm spaces, and people who will guide you. Your library card is your key to resources that support learning at any level. Successful Communication With Essay Writing Services Lewisham Libraries Closures Crofton Park New Cross Library: Brent Libraries Closures Croydon Library Closures
	Signature collection in Blackheath	Petition signing at Tate South Lambeth Library (a typical library user - a 6 year old from a local school) More	Signature collection at Sydenham Library	Norbury Library signature collection

Camden's Belsize Library goes on the offensive to defend its existence once again.

Camden Council's Library Policy to be Legally Challenged Camden Public Libraries Users Group (CPLUG) has taken the first step in legally challenging the new library policy of Camden Council. A letter before claim has been sent to the Council on CPLUGs behalf which sets out the grounds for this challenge. The main grounds are major errors in the design and implementation of the Camden Council library public consultation which was carried out earlier this year. This will come as no surprise to those who have followed the developments in the borough. The consultation has become notorious and has added to a shameful list of previous faulty consultations carried out by Camden Council. Whilst the present challenge is restricted to the libraries consultation, it can be considered to be the groundbreaker for possible future legal challenges where the Council rides roughshod over the wishes of the population of the borough. Read the full Letter before Claim document

The Closure List

Public Library News has reported that CILIP believes that 20% of English libraries are under threat. The PLN has found that sustained attacks by local authorities on their public library services has resulted in 397 libraries (319 buildings and 78 mobiles) being currently under threat or closed/left council control since 1/4/11 out of c.4612 in the UK. The Public Library News London findings are: Barnet - 2 threatened (out of 16) - 1 to go as merge North Finchley and Friern Barnet libraries at "Artsdepot" site; Hampstead Garden Suburb to close (books with self-service machine to be placed in local Institute); Bookfund up by £10k; £3m raised by selling off buildings (Finchley Hill, Church End, Child's Hill and Grahame Park - to be moved into presumably cheaper buildings); 16FTE lost; £350k saving joint backroom services (£1.6m cut to be decided 29th March) final council decison here Bexley - 3 and 1 mobile (£1m - 16% cut) Merger of library services will include halving of staff - sacking of 36 staff, including all professional staff. Brent - 6 out of 12 confirmed as closing; 82% of consultation responders said council plans to close 6 of 12 were not reasonable. Legal challenge. Central Library will move to new Civic Centre building in 2013; the 6 libraries not being closed will be open seven days, with longer hours during exam periods, more e-books and more audio. Bromley - Suggested merger of two councils' library services may save Bromley £880k - £340k from staff losses, £90k from merging Penge and Anerley libraries. 8 (out of 15) may close; KAB talking books cut; Withdrawing from RNIB scheme, replacing with Calibre service. Large scale reductions in opening hours. Merger of library services will include halving of staff including sacking of 36 staff, including all (back-office?) professional staff. Council has £33m cash reserves; some branches will move to being run by "trustees" and volunteers Camden - 3 libraries to transfer to being run by volunteers, Mobile Library to close, Regents Park Library to close. 10% opening hours cut for all, bookfund cut, 35 jobs lost; may share some services with Islington: Belsize, Chalk Farm and Health libraries to be given to volunteers; £2 million cut King's Cross may be rebuilt in new Town hall complex, Crowndale Centre library may move to new Camden High Street site, Regent's Park may become study centre with new library built instead. St Pancras and Camden Town libraries subject to possible property sale. (£1.6million cut). Possible legal challenge. City of London - 1 (15.9% cut to Libraries/Archives/Art Dept budget, cuts to London Metropolitan Archives opening hours. Source = LAGAG update email). Guildhall Library will remain open on Saturdays, City Business Library will close on Saturdays. London Metropolitan Archives to open four days per week but will open until 7.30 Tuesday to Thursday to compensate (open one Saturday per month). Croydon - Will be privatised in joint tendering process with Wandsworth, Full paper to Council on decision to invite private tender for library services. Decision to close six libraries postponed until 2012. 23 library jobs lost April 2011. Another 26 likely to go in order to make £700k saving., (£690k saving) (doubts over consultation process). Qualified librarians removed at Sanderstead Library Ealing - It looks likely no branch library will close (mobile library will close though). Hanwell, Perivale, Northfields (£610k upgrade in 2007), Northolt Leisure Centre (£1m upgrade January 2010) were under threat; Current plan to go before committee is - (1) Picture sale of £570k to go to Libraries for Wifi, new computers. (2) Library opening hours reduced by 25 per week, (3) move to Trust, volunteers, or other model to be considered, (4) "comprehensive" volunteer programme, (5) some branches may be entirely "self-service", (6) 20 FTE library jobs to go. Cut to budget may be 30% over four years, Ealing Library Campaign.; Enfield - 20% budget cut.- 3 out of 16 under threat (Ordnance Road Library,Enfield Highway Library,Bullsmoor Library) under threat. £578k cut 2011, £300k 2012 and 2013. If massive opposition, libraries could stay open but staffed with volunteers. Decision to be made in "Summer". Greenwich - 1 (Greenwich council has reserve of £133m - the second highest in the country)(could be turned into a Trust) (school library service closed) Hackney - One-quarter of library staff to lose their jobs (number down from 104 to 76) Events to reduce from 500 annually to 200, mainly run by volunteers. Most staff will be paid £2000-5000 less as jobs downgraded. Front-line staff cut by £700k 2010-11, but more senior managers. Consultation 18 April - 27 June 2011; all libraries to be kept open; new Dalston CR James Library to be opened in 2011; opening hours to change in all libraries; events to be solely at new library, Hackney Central and Stoke Newington; more volunteers (1 library already entirely staffed by volunteers) Hammersmith and Fulham - 2 (to be run by volunteers) and 1 mobile (record office to have £70k cut from £88k, volunteers, presumably no professional archivists, reduced hours) (£310k cut) Haringey - Hornsey, Marcus Garvey and Alexandra Park libraries to be closed on Sundays. Harrow - 34 full-time jobs cut as £1.1m saving expected from installation of self-service in all libraries Hounslow - initial plan to close 8 cancelled after public consultation, £300k cut in bookfund, some libraries may still be at risk as cuts "postponed". (Managed by private company Laing); Consultation on cuts soon Islington - Guarantee no libraries will close. 10% (£600k) cut. May be job losses, cuts in hours, more self-service. Seriously considering turning into a Trust to save £450k p.a. in tax. May share some services with Camden. Kensington & Chelsea - North Kensington Library may be moved to new site to allow for land to be sold to private company/public school. Kingston - (50% adult bookfund cut) Lambeth - 4 branches (out of 11) and 2 mobiles (setting up a trust "which will give you a chance to run libraries")("@walkyouhome: EVERY librarian in Lambeth has been told they are having their post deleted. Only assistants and admin staff remain" on twitter 9.3.11 confirmed 13.3.11); Council has £93.7m cash reserves.; £750k 2011/14 cut; Commission to be set up to consider volunteers/closures/shared service with other authorities Lewisham - 5 (of 12) Grove Park, Sydenham and Crofton Park Libraries will be divested to Eco Computer Systems. Age Exchange will take over Blackheath. New Cross Library has closed 28.5.12. £995k cut from £4.6m - 21.6%; (legal challenge - possibly unrelated to this, council summoned to DCMS to explain their actions.); Merton - (£81k cut) - Donald Hope Library (Colliers Wood) will close on Fridays, West Barnes Library will be staffed by volunteers on Mondays from July. Newham - Foreign language newspapers removed from all libraries Redbridge - 5 out of 12 may close, another may relocate (£2.3m cut). Goodmayes saved. Richmond - No libraries to close, Whitton library enhanced (as Heathfield closed earlier this year). Ham and Kew libraries may be co-located with other council services. Self-service in all libraries. Bookfund protected. More online services. (£351k cut) (service may be privatised) Heathfield closed in March. Tower Hamlets - (staff made to reapply for their own jobs -23 library staff replaced) Wandsworth - (York Gardens - description of council proposals here, library stays open but with cuts in service and staffing - decision not well-liked) mention in Guardian here plus reduction in hours in others. Will be privatised in joint tendering process with Croydon. Council papers here. Westminster - 1 (St James's Library to close) (Marylebone may never reopen) Petition to save St James' Library. Withdrawing from RNIB scheme, replacing with e-audio service. The full PLN UK list can be found at: https://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/p/cuts-and-closures-by-local-authority.html AT July 2011

  Time to throw the book at Ed Vaizey Ed Vaizey  
John Walshs article in The Independent on 23rd June analysed the attitude of Ed Vaizey (Minister for Culture) to the current public library crisis in this country and compared it with his attitude in opposition. It was a demolition job. Vaizeys reputation is now in tatters.

The recent encounter in the British Library of Camden journalist, Dan Carrier, with Ed Vaizey gave the same result. We can, therefore, be fairly confident that Vaizey is just a political opportunist eager to jump on any passing bandwagon and just as willing to jump off of it.

Vaizey gained his former reputation by actively supporting public libraries while the Conservative Party was in opposition. He did support the library campaigners in the Wirral. Perhaps it is relevant to ask: where is the opposition spokesperson, Ivan Lewis, today? Carefully invisible. At least Vaizey put on a good imitation of interest.

AT June 2011   Lewisham Lobby of DCMS - 18th May 2011

On Wednesday 18th May, a group of library users from Lewisham lobbied the Department for Cuture, Media & Sport in an attempt to get the Culture Minister, Ed Vaizey, to use his powers under the 1964 Public Libraries & Museums Act to prevent a drastic reduction of library services in the borough. A letter was handed into the department. The text of the letter was:

Ed Vaizey, M.P., 17th May 2011
Minister for Culture, Communications
and the Creative Industries,
Department of Culture, Media and Sport,
2 4 Cockspur Street,
London SW1Y 5DH

Ref: Sent on behalf of Library Users affected by the closure of their libraries

Dear Mr. Vaizey,
We are presenting this document to you as it strongly supports the views of many people in the London Borough of Lewisham, that their current libraries should remain open and the council should seek alternative measures to save money on the budget and treat all its residents equally, instead of offering the two tier system, with all the councils admitted risks involved in the new model of community libraries. Some call them pseudo libraries.

We note that in 2009 you challenged Andy Burnham, then minister at the DCMS, as he was ignoring his responsibilities as secretary of state by refusing to intervene in the library closures in The Wirral. You went on to say he effectively renders the 1964 Public Libraries Act meaningless. While it is local authorities responsibility to provide libraries, the Act very clearly lays responsibility for ensuring a good service at the culture secretarys door. If Andy Burnham is not prepared to intervene when library provision is slashed in a local authority such as The Wirral, it is clear that he is ignoring his responsibilities as secretary of state, which in the process renders any sense of libraries being a statutory requirement for local authorities meaningless. Surely one is expected to obey the law, and not cherry pick the statutes?

Lewisham officers and Lewisham residents had the opportunity to explain their views to officers at the DCMS. To date we have no decision from the secretary of state. Five Lewisham libraries close on 28th May 2011. Blackheath Village Library project has large sums of money involved, from varying sources including the council. It will run a transitional library until summer/autumn 2012. Crofton Park, Sydenham and Grove Park, all, according to the council report needing large sums to be spent on their crumbling buildings will be handed over to a business, on a 25 year lease, which had a turnover of less than £50,000 in 2010. The council made clear in its Mayor and Cabinet Agenda, 12th May 2011, that there were serious risks attached. Quote, Should either the financial or building related risks arise, this could lead to a reputational risk to the council. The final sentence added Officers acknowledge that these risks are real and that possible mitigation measures are limited. Worse, New Cross library, in a deprived area of a deprived borough seems to have no future. The council did not dare allow the winning company to take over 4 libraries, only 3. Is this the way to run local government? Where is the public probity? Where is the concern for public money and public services? We are facing misgovernance on a grand scale. But Lewisham council always claims to do it better!!!

These pseudo libraries will provide many fewer books, (only 7000 in BVL as opposed to 21,000,) less space, ( one third the size of the current library) little professional staffing and no evening opening and one closure. How is this not a diminution of Lewishams service? What would you have said to Mr. Burnham in these circumstances?

Is a bidding process with such shabby, shoddy results an appropriate way to deal with the provision of a statutory service? Can you support this dire outcome affecting the 327,000 visits to these libraries in 2009/10, the 264,000 issues, the 25,443 signatories of the petitions? The money saved is nothing like that promoted by the council. Alternative budgets were presented. Did the council discuss these with the users? Of course not! Did DCMS ministers and officers know this would be the result? Not only does the public deserve an answer, so does Parliament, which passed the Act, in the expectation that it would be used. Why not do what Mr. Burnham did? He asked for a report to be compiled in The Wirral. The library service should be the subject of that report and all council policy should be put on hold.

There is a solution and it would win you and the government lots of brownie points!

Yours sincerely,

Patricia and Peter Richardson

Tel: 020 8852 9301

Lewisham's Plea to the Prime Minister

After their lobby of the DCMS on 18th May, a group of Lewisham's librar users delivered a letter to 10 Downing Street. The text of the letter was:

17th May 2011

The Prime Minister
The Rt. Hon. David Cameron, M.P.
10 Downing Street
London SW1A 2AA

Ref: Delivered on behalf of the Library Users facing the closure of their libraries in the London Borough of Lewisham.

Dear Mr. Cameron,

The Oxford Mail interviewed you for its 14th May issue 2011. One question it asked was:-

Q. Do you agree with cutting library services in Oxfordshire?

A. What the County council is now proposing is significantly changed. They are looking at ways to keep libraries open and looking for ways to maintain them. Of course I have discussed it with Keith Mitchell, but it is his decision.

Actually the final decision is with the Minister at the DCMS, Ed Vaizey MP. Under the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 he has the power to intervene if a local authority is failing to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service for all its residents. Lewisham council is about to do just that and provide a two tier system for its residents. To date we have had no decision from Mr. Vaizey although both local authority officers and library supporters were interviewed at the DCMS, separately, to make their cases.

The two tier system that results in 4 libraries being run as community libraries or pseudo libraries, reduced in stock, one much reduced in space, no evening opening and one closed altogether, that being New Cross. It is in one of the most deprived areas of the borough. The business plans of the firm chosen to run 3 libraries are even called into question, as well as the ability to deal with the 3 buildings that need large sums of money spent on them. Quote Mayor and Cabinet Agenda 12/5/2023 para 9.7, Should either the financial or building related risks arise, this could lead to a reputational risk to the Council. Para 9.8, Officers acknowledge that these risks are real and that possible mitigation measures are limited. Perhaps Mr. Pickles and the Audit Commission should also be involved.
The quality of the final 4 interested parties was poor and calls into question the policy of subjecting the provision of a statutory public service to a bidding war.

The savings originally stated as being essential are no longer there. Other pots of council money are being made available. Nobody has discussed the loss of service, due to staff restructuring, in the Reference Library, the local archives and local history departments. The councils own report on schools, young people and youth projects admitted these areas would be damaged by the proposed closures and implementation of community libraries. Areas around New Cross, Sydenham, Crofton Park, Grove Park each have several schools, using libraries to enhance literacy, reference and project work.

The council will continue to run 7 libraries as before, which means some residents have a better service than others. This must be a breach of the 1964 Act.

We therefore ask you to look at the information here, which sustains the case. Ask Mr. Vaizey to look at it and do his duty by the people of Lewisham as he is required. When Mr. Vaizey was the Shadow minister he clearly pointed out that Andy Burnham MP was ignoring his responsibilities as secretary of state, by refusing to intervene in the library closures in The Wirral in 2009. He went on to say that this refusal to take action in The Wirral effectively renders the 1964 Public Libraries Act meaningless. While it is local authorities responsibility to provide libraries, the Act very clearly lays responsibility for ensuring a good service at the culture secretarys door. If Andy Burnham is not prepared to intervene when library provision is slashed in a local authority such as The Wirral, it is clear that he is ignoring his responsibilities as secretary of state, which in the process renders any sense of libraries being a statutory requirement for local authorities meaningless.

Is Mr Vaizey doing the same thing two years on? What is Mr. Hunts position in all this? We cannot choose which laws to obey. The law is the law. This attitude brings the administration of the law into public disrepute, and the minister as part of it.

Yours sincerely,

Patricia and Peter Richardson, Tel: 020 8852 9301

 

The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, in contrast to many other boroughs around the country, will keep all its libraries open in spite of current public cost-cutting pressures and protect its book acquisition budget while continuing to invest in new technology and refurbishment

Let me say very clearly that there are no plans to close any of our libraries, Ian Dodds, Head of Libraries, told a recent public forum, but we will look carefully at the different ways in which we can manage them and how we can work in partnership with local community groups and volunteers to ensure that they remain public buildings at the heart of their local communities--delivering the services that local people want and need.

While elsewhere in London 51 libraries were due to close in coming months, Richmond would invest in enlarging and refurbishing its branch library in Whitton, partly to enhance its facilities following downsizing of the nearby Heathfield library (due to sale of its premises). Improvements to the smaller Ham and Kew libraries were also under consideration, possibly by co-locating them and other smaller branches with other public services. This will have the benefit of improving buildings and locations and extending the range of public services on offer whilst enabling us to share building costs, Dodds said. In the past few years Richmond has modernised its branch libraries in Richmond, East Sheen, Teddington and Twickenham, and moved Hampton Hill library to more convenient new premises

Instead of cutting opening hours and reducing book purchases, as happening elsewhere, Richmond will this year complete installation of self-service technology in all libraries, which would permit further extension of opening hours. More than 70,000 new books were added to collections last year and the budget spent on books would continue to be protected. We have implemented a new stock supply contract which has provided us with access to a better range of stock at a larger discountwhich means that we have been able to buy more, Dodds said. Richmond would also continue to ensure that its libraries were focal points for cultural activities, such as reading groups, exhibitions, performances and events with writers.

The rapid expansion of technology-driven access to informationthe majority of traditional sources now being published onlinerequired further investment in electronic facilities. In the coming year we will grow these services, Dodds said, and make sure we are at the cutting edge of developments by extending access to e-books and online subscription services through a virtual library portal and by creating digital content and ensuring our libraries offer the most up-to-date technology.

Cllr Pamela Fleming told the meeting that Richmond Council was firmly committed to maintaining an efficient library system in the borough.

The annual library forum held in April at the Richmond Reference Library was arranged by the Committee of Friends of the Richmond upon Thames Libraries, chaired by Francis Bennett.

(M Pagel)

  The Fight Back - the Challenge to Ed Vaizey

Thus far we have coralled library users from Lewisham, Brent, Camden, Croydon, Lambeth and some from outside London, to challenge Ed Vaizey, minister at the DCMS, for not using his powers under the 1964 Public Libraries Act to prevent the desecration of one of the fundamentals of a decent Society.
We meet on Wednesday 18th May 2011, at noon, adjacent to the DCMS building, to lobby that particular ministry and its ministers. It is time they came out of the bunker. How happy they are to meet consultants, businessmen, publishers - I could go on - but meet with your average library user? Give me a break! We just pay and use! Why would he consider us relevant?
If your library is at risk, or may be at risk, come along and let him know this is criminal. He is actually happy to break the law.

Patricia Richardson
Minutes Secretary of Libraries for Life for London
Secretary of Users and Friends of Manor House Library   THE ALTERNATIVE - 26/3/2011- The Anti-Cuts March A still misty morning saw some of the Lewisham contingent muster outside Waterloo East station. Photo record and then the singing, parodies of all good traditional song and satire. People in their hordes flooded through Waterloo station exits but the real eye opener was the view from Waterloo Bridge. The embankment from the bridge going back to Blackfriars was stacked to bursting with people. They stood like medieval regiments, with colourful banners, flags and pennants slightly stirring in a faint breeze.

11.30 pm and up into the Aldwych we went , eventually sweeping down onto the embankment itself. Caught in narrow corridors and trying to dovetail in with the main march could have been an accident in the making, but all of us were so well behaved and considerate that it just worked. Stewards played their part but police were conspicuous, almost, by their absence. They were there, but so unobtrusive. Just as well really, or maybe the huge numbers of peaceful marchers may have kettled the police. Theres a thought.

We (Peter and I) have never marched on this scale before. So, why now? Well, as it said on our badges, There is an alternative. And this is just for the public library service, a minnow of a spend! An alternative budget for Lewishams public library service was presented to Lewisham council after it had taken MONTHS to ring out of them The Library Service Budget Book, resorting to FoI. The pretence of wishing to talk to us was never properly followed up. Other residents also used the rung out financial details to achieve a similar solution. Did they get a follow up? Oh, please!

Since last August we have been in regular contact with Ed Vaizey MP, minister at the DCMS with libraries in his portfolio. We lived in hope he would do his legal duty and intervene, or at least his boss, Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State, would do so. Dream on!

So Messrs. Hunt and Vaizey (Jeremy and Ed) we are now on this march, because we are The Big Society. There are many, many more of us than you! We know more about our community than you do. We know more about the library service in that community than you do. And, as anyone on that march could have told you, None of you is listening. We know that services across the board could be provided at far less expense.

Government, politicians, elected representatives at all levels, public servants at all levels have squandered eye watering amounts of public money, seemingly with the blessing of opposition politicians.

Shall we move on? Well, we did, footstep at a time. By 1.45 pm we were under Hungerford Bridge. Hyde Park had to be about 2 hours away. The hips were failing and the bladders needed attention. We veered off to the station, loos and bought sandwiches. Trafalgar Square was full of spectators watching the streams of marchers approaching from Whitehall. Big Ben down on the left marked the progress. The gates to the National Gallery were closed. Police controlled the steps. However, it was pretty much like a normal Saturday afternoon except for a group of young men roaming about, clothed in black with black masks concealing their identity. And we all know what happened after that.
But that was nothing to do with the hundreds of thousands of genuine marchers, who were too many to be counted accurately. Why tie us in with them? Such comments to do so by petty self- serving politicians and manipulative commentators are risible.
We know why we were there, and was it worth it? Yeh, you bet it was! Lewisham People Before Profit, says it all!

Patricia Richardson
Minutes Secretary of Libraries for Life for London
Secretary of Users and Friends of Manor House Library

  Cutting it Up If youre looking for trouble
Heres how to start
Blow up the theatres
Tear down the art
Burn down the libraries
And concert halls
Cut your jazz and ballet
And then cut off your balls
And be a serial killer of culture
A serial killer of the soul
If youre looking for trouble
Take the artists youve got
Stack their works all around them
And torch the lot
The human soul is hungry
And sos the human heart
The food and drink makes them feel and think
It comes from works of art
And the human soul without art
Is locked in a dungeon cell
If you take your knife and cut the arts
You can cut your throat as well
Cause youre serial killer of culture
A serial killer of the soul
If youre looking for trouble
Cut your grants to the poor
Seek out the old and sick
Cut them some more
Suffer little children
To go to school in hell
Then watch them burn your cities
And your country estates as well
Cause youre a serial killer of Britain
A serial killer of its soul.
By Adrian Mitchell       News from the Template - Formally known as Lewisham Are Lewishams libraries the template? (We asked that before!)

Are Lewishams libraries and residents the guinea pig, a pilot scheme, a testing ground?

CILIP, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, has done library lovers proud in its last 2 issues, including an inconclusive interview (his decision) with the minister himself, Ed Vaizey MP. The 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act is the sole protection for the library service. This was reinforced by the Wirral Report, from Sue Charteris in 2009. The Local Government Association (LGA) was not happy with it and it remained unendorsed by government as Wirral dropped its proposals. Lets move on, post election, trouble ahead in libraries so Mr. Vaizey issues a letter to councils (did Lewisham ever find its copy?) On 3rd December 2010 he reminded them that:-

a. State what your service is trying to achieve
b. Describe local needs, including general and specific needs of adults and children who live, work and study in the area
c. Detail how the service will be delivered and take into account the demography of the area and different needs of adults and children in different areas
d. Detail the resources available for the service, including an annual budget.

He added that a comprehensive and efficient service is a balance between meeting local need within available resources in a way which is appropriate to the needs of the local community. No two authorities are the same and there is no single way of making an assessment of the needs of a community. That is HIS judgement on the Act. The 2 tier service which will be on offer in Lewisham has been roundly condemned by residents, and Lewisham has totally ignored the results of its own consultation. The Chief Executive of CILIP, Annie Mauger, offered sound advice to MPs in the form of 6 key questions. Are Lewishams MPs ignoring these? Did they attend the Adjournment Debate on Libraries, 1st March? (And thanks to Walsall MP, Valerie Vaz, for calling that.)

But, back to Ed ... his comments on the Future Libraries Programme, which had its roots a bit before his takeover of office (remember Modernisation Review of Public Libraries March 2010, better, remember Lewishams submission in January 2010) and led by MLA and the LGA (always a worry to users) is to help authorities to maximise the impact of available library budgets They are showing great enthusiasm and there are already 10 projects involving 36 local authorities. READ ON Among the ideas being explored in the ten pilot projects are transferring control of library services to communities to run Are you surprised? This is exactly what is happening in Lewisham. It is exactly what residents did NOT want and it is maybe why the Council ignores its electorate and wont back off. He continued, There are 151 library authorities in England. We will take the best learning from the 10 projects and make it available across the wider public library network so that everyone can achieve cost savings, new partnerships and governance models, and take advantage of digital opportunities. You had better watch out, and Im telling you why, it is on its way. But Santa it aint! Did anyone say The Big Society? Hey there, Dave, Ed, Jeremy even, we keep telling you what our Society wants, whatever its size, (and it is pretty basic, no golden elephants), but you want to TELL us what to have! Big Brother always did know best!

Quote Annie, we cannot afford to let the baton drop. She is right. This is much too important to be left to a bunch of meddlesome, manoeuvering politicians. It is up to each and every library user, and potential library user, not to take it this time. Get aboard! Egyptian youth stood in front of the Library of Alexandria to protect it from looting and vandalism in the recent troubles. We should do no less.

Rattled of Parliament Square is not sure where this is headed. Even Ed had to admit in Parliament, on 1st March, that volunteers cannot staff libraries as councils imply. And who knew about this debate? Did our MPs tell us? Did Ed tell us he had written another letter to councils recently? Did our MPs tell us? Did our councillors and Mayor tell us? Did they heck, they do not like us having information. What he actually said was, Volunteers are an important element of library provision, but they must never take the place of professionals and must work with them professionals should work in libraries, but they do not necessarily all have to be professional librarians. It is important to have a mix of professionals. Where does that leave the Blackheath Village new model library with its suggested pool of 80 volunteers?

Lewisham is not alone, out there are others with the same predicaments who believe resistance is NOT futile. If politicians have become so careless in their attitudes to their electorates it is time to play hard ball. If the law with, hopefully, some justice thrown in, is the only way out, so be it. CHORUS: Amen to that! Alan Gibbons is out there in front leading the charge, followed by Lewisham, Somerset, Gloucestershire and the Brent contingents. Should it be regiments?

In amongst all this battling comes news that almost 80% of children aged 5 10 years now use public libraries! Childrens borrowing has gone up for 6 consecutive years!! Why would any adult deny those who come after them!!! Certainly not dear old Frank Field MP. His report The foundation years: preventing poor children becoming poor adults, adds to the Life Chance Indicators by including the home learning environment, which, you have guessed it, includes library visits! There is more to underpin the importance of books, but, you are able to Google the report.

Finally, and you really could not make it up, Museums, Libraries and Archives (MLA) has issued a booklet on what the public wants from libraries, after doing research. https://tinycurl.com/2uoo3rd
A good choice of books/stock is key
Expand your offer: but target genuine needs, and do not squeeze out books
If the core service is free, people will pay for extras (if the income goes to the library)
People detest poor customer service

All that is missing is do you have that library?

What else is there? LISTEN, and act on what you hear! Patricia Richardson
Minutes Secretary LLL
Secretary of Users and Friends of Manor House Library  

American Library Association Challenges
HarperCollins eBook Lending Policy

Publisher HarperCollins' decision to limit the number of times any of its e-books can be borrowed via a library to 26 has received heavy criticism from the US library world (66 percent of US public libraries offer free access to e-books) and the American Library Association (ALA) has published some videos showing just how restrictive this e-book policy is compared to normal book lending.

The ALA is about to develop a model for e-book lending. So, the HarperCollins move is premature and is costing the company a loss of revenue and image.

AT March 2011

  Public Libraries & Museums Act under Attack? Author Alan Gibbons latest Campaign for the Book blogs have highlighted two developments:

A legal challenge to library closure programs in several local authorities based on the statutory duty placed on them to run a comprehensive library service. This duty was set out in the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act.

A review of the statutory duties placed on local authorities which includes the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act.

The 1964 Act is notoriously vague and has not proved to be a very good guardian of library services in the past. However, it is better than nothing. Without the act, the present legal challenge would be almost impossible. Is that the intension of the Department for Culture, Media & Sport? Jeremy Hunt and Ed Vaizey have some explaining to do.

Letters to MPs about the latest Parliamentary developments, from library campaigners Shirley Burnham & Tim Coates.

Annie Mauger, Chief Executive of The Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP) has written to Ed Vaizey about the potential threat to the 1964 Act and concludes her letter with I would welcome your reassurance that the Coalition Government will remain true to the Act.

AT

  Democracy lives . But where?

4.3.2023

We have hit the buffers in Lewisham, not to say the UK as a whole, but here in Lewisham we have no electoral challenge to a directly elected Mayor and elected councillors until 2014. They may do as they please if they hold the majority. The directly elected Mayor may do as he pleases anyway. At least, if you live in Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya etc, etc you know where you stand. Here, we live in a nether world of perpetual pretence.
Ignore 25,443 petition signatures, one tenth of the population of the borough. Ignore 7 months of borough wide campaigning by 5 separate groups and other political parties. Ignore the true wishes of the people. Why? BECAUSE YOU CAN!

That is why the legal route is the only challenge available to an elected dictatorship, and then only as the money has been found to support it.

Adding insult to injury the full council meeting held on 1st March 2011 was re-scheduled to meet at 10.00 am. Not only did that mean many members of the public were excluded, so were some councillors who had day jobs to go to, e.g. Peter Pattison, who is a teacher. Apparently this was on police advice in view of what had happened on the evening of 29th November 2010. Did the police offer this advice to other London councils where full council meetings took place as usual? Those elected councillors faced up to democracy even if they ignored it. Apparently Lewisham libraries were also closed that morning, not to mention council offices. Yet again, giving the public advance warning of closures did not seem to be an option.

Forewarned (by a senior council officer) was forearmed, so Peter and I turned up with ID including passport and driving licence to cross the frontier into council territory. However, we are now recognised by security staff at the border crossing.

The Council Chamber was not used. We were back in the double committee room, appropriately arranged. The public was thin on the ground. Those who had mustered for a demonstration, funeral service (for the death of services, geddit?) and the TV and Press cameras, could not face another morning of council self- justification so beat a hasty retreat and off to the day job. Wise move you guys, it was far worse than you could have imagined.
But, as they repeatedly reminded us (Labour) they had to set the budget, or, shock, horror, Eric Pickles and his troops would be sent in to gleefully set a budget. Allowing the opposition the excuse of going through the councils books was not an option greeted gleefully, so, whatever, the councillors had to set and agree the budget.

Public questions were on the order paper, but, sneakily, because we had contacted the Secretary of State at the DCMS, asking for his intervention, all our supplementary questions on the library service were suddenly off-limits and had to have written answers. But, did we give in? Did we heck. We asked anyway. My supplementary on Community Asset Transfers led me later to re-check its origin and past. Would you be surprised to learn it has its origins in the Quirk Review published 15th May 2007. Yes, spot on, Quirk. Who he? Well yes, its Barry; Lewishams own CE!

As we encountered Councillors questions the meeting began to degenerate into a political bun fight. It was not tasteful or agreeable. In fact, most of the time it was downright nasty and unpleasant. Many of the councillors of the ruling party showed themselves in their true colours. Firstly the Mayor made a political speech to set the agenda of how it is all the fault of the coalition government, taking no account or responsibility for the squandering of public money throughout Lewisham, let alone by the previous Labour government. Forget the public sector debt requirement 2009/10 of £169 billion, forget this years, pencilled in at £140billion, forget the interest due on this and all past borrowing. We know its a mess. We know its virtually unpayable. That is why the approach needs to be sensible, reasonable and structured, not ideological. And they call Colonel Gaddafi delusional

We went on to councillors motions. Two were important. Cllr Britton put forward a Conservative motion asking for Blackheath Village and Grove Park libraries to remain open. Why only 2 was connected with a previous motion asking for all 5 libraries to remain open, which was defeated. A motion may be put only once. Cllr Feakes and Cllr Maines put forward a motion for the Lib/Dems to defer library closures for another year and find a range of other savings. Both were eventually defeated by the Labour majority. Fortunately Cllr Britton committed himself to writing to the minister at the DCMS and asking for his intervention.

Not only, but also, it would help if the majority party had not descend into abuse, sniping and raucous laughter while discussing policies that were going to affect lives seriously, now and into the future. If voters had seen this display it would have been lighting the blue touch paper.

There was the usual jargon, e.g. not acceding to special pleading, I make no apology for increasing parking charges, explaining the reasons behind freezing the council tax as government will grant the equivalent of a 2.5% increase over 4 years. It goes on. Cllr Maslin, Cabinet member for Resources, had his day and reduced his colleagues to rolling around laughing. They had a wonderful time.

There are pages of notes on who said what, who insulted whom, who fired cheap shots. What an exhibition. I will not sully your eyes or minds with such nonsense. Cllr Duwayne Brooks spoke up for reason when he suggested that such difficult times called for people working together, in the interests of the public. NB he had the same impact as the public, zilch!

Finally, pre passing the budget, councillors were reminded it would be inappropriate to cheer or clap. The Mayor said, they took no pleasure in doing this, but it had to be done whether they liked it or not. Pickles being in charge meant the change in Local Government as we know it. This is not quite the quote he gave the Evening Standard last November. It also does not allow for the seeds of change that were being planted over the last few years.

A footnote is appropriate Lewisham is one of the worst places in Britain for youth unemployment. Between June 2009/July 2010, 35.8% of 16 24 year olds were unemployed in the borough. This was an increase of 9.3% from the previous year. Closing libraries, Connexions and Opening Doors cannot be the answer. Interestingly these ONS figures do not agree with those of the council.

STOP PRESS!!! What larks!!! Here is the scoop, courtesy of the SLP their Friday, 4th March 2011 issue reports that Barry Quirk, CE of Lewisham council is to become a part-timer! From the 1st July 2011 he will only work for 3 days per week. His current salary of £192,387 will reduce to £115,432. What ideas run through the mind! Is he the sacrificial lamb? How much is saved by not paying 50% tax on a portion of that former salary? Are we meant to be impressed? Will the £260,000 saved over 3 years be spent on libraries, or Opening Doors or Connexions?

Patricia Richardson, Minutes Secretary (LLL) & Secretary, Users and Friends of Manor House Library  

Angels and Devils (demons? Mmm, could be) -

The Lewisham Lot have not Gone Away

DAY ONE
Lets have Breakfast with Bullock, all invited on Thursday 17th November at 9.00 am (on police advice we have a daytime meeting, no confrontation in the early morning as many will be excluded from attending. Lets avoid the rampaging riff-raff. No, lets do it at 10 am, instead). We all attend anyway, back to the frisking and the confiscation of the searched handbag (dont ask!)
The mind numbing, bottom numbing boredom of these meetings is relieved by taking minutes (was I the only one?), humorous antics and comments of the packed rows behind, paper darts of the mountainous packages of council papers and the stony faces of Mayor, councillors and officers. This is a meeting held in public, but not a public meeting, the Mayor says it all really. After some time he loses his cool over the interruptions, identifies someone to be removed. Security and steward misidentify this tearaway as James, who, quite rightly refuses to leave. A burly officer of the old school appears to enforce the wrong removal and we all back James. James knows he cannot be removed by the police, so they fade into the background leaving a couple of heavy minders in place. Is this in the minutes? I think we should be told. Am I the only one writing for posterity? What did you do in the great library war 2010/2011?
The greatest sadness is the bits of money here and there, no longer available (yes, the incontinent Council did spend £12m on consultants and did buy the Catford
Shopping Centre - £11m+ and did organise the Mayors Fund (whose fund? Where did he find £900,000?) for distribution to Local Assemblies the year before the local elections. There go your front line services. Central Government is not free from blame. If cuts to funding are made guidelines need to be clear and transparent to all.
The Prime Minister has been reminded of this, by letter.
Suddenly, libraries are pushed to the top of the agenda, the Mayor breaks for a 10 minute pit stop and by 1.30 pm we are told no less than we expected. Cllr Best (Cabinet member for Communities) did come over during said pit stop. James and Peter grill her, but the eyes glaze over and we are back where we started. Libraries are to close.
We are using it AND losing it!
We then get the Aileen Buckton spiel, no change there. She never loses. Regular readers will know the campaign against closures and a real alternative solution, for the best of all concerned, was brilliantly and sharply executed in Lewisham. But it was a done deal! Always was!! Egypt springs to mind. Our very own cabal has been together for too long and the Mayor has absolute power, thank you Mr. Blair, but then Colonel Gaddafi was one of your mates.
Why was there a gross pretence of consultation? How can you decide to spend huge amounts of the peoples money against their wishes? I leave you to ponder.
What a relief to leave. No human being (were there devils?) should have to sit through such a disgusting failure. Even Catfords air seems fresh compared to the Town Hall Committee Room.
An incredible footnote to the day is learning that the council authorities closed Catford Library, opposite the Town Hall, supposedly on police advice should anything unspeakable happen to it! Ironic really, closing libraries is obviously council policy.

DAY TWO
We never close, but the libraries will on 28th May 2011, must get those redundancy notices out on time. By 1.20 pm on Friday 18th February two letters are delivered to the charming staff in the DCMS post room, for his nibs, the Rt. Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, dont you just love it, and his junior nibs, Ed Vaizey MP to demand ministerial intervention in Lewisham under powers granted in the 1964 Act. Copies are posted to the big panjandrum in Downing Street complaining (natch) and asking his government for clear guidelines. Sundays Independent (thanks, for all the support over the past months) reveals Cameron may have persuaded his Oxfordshire Council to defer plans for closure. Ruminate on that one.

Continuing Day Two
Is the message getting through?
When will this government produce guidelines for councils on NOT cutting front line services? When will the Secretary of State use his powers to intervene in Lewisham to prevent the Council from destroying a comprehensive and efficient service for all its residents? Well, guys, we eagerly await your responses.

DAY THREE
James was right on Thursday when he told us all we should be shouting at councillors. We are too polite. How dare they treat us like this, and then shove the responsibility onto someone else? Dont get me started.
Saturday dawns bleak, drab, dismal, wet. By 11 am our group is leafleting in Lee Green and collecting signatures for another petition. This is rolling out across Lewisham. A council has a legal duty to take notice of a petition, for the time being, but binned the 20,000 + signatures against the closure of the libraries.
A quick lunch in the car, warmer feet then off to join the masses at the Town Hall. The weather did not put them off. The police said 500, always an underestimate, and there they were, a cross-section of Lewishams humanity .. familiar faces, smiling faces, whistles, drums and lots of traditionally built police officers, but no WPCs?
By this time we have discovered that Lewisham Library Service has closed ALL its public libraries, but only for the day. There was no warning to staff or users, the portcullis came down. Was this a ploy to make campaigners look bad all your fault, was it fear or sheer nastiness? No matter, they aint gonna tell us the truth!
Quickly we are organised and set off for the grassy knoll in Lewisham Centre.
Blackheath Village Library User Groups beautiful banner leads the libraries at the front. Just as before people spill from shops, hundreds of leaflets are handed out, well-rehearsed chants ripple through the column of marchers. Car drivers hoot in sympathy, everybody waves. At the hospital another group of campaigners is ready and waiting having held their rally against NHS reorganisation.
So well-organised are the police, stewards and traffic cone carers that we arrive in no time, well 50 minutes, and all that publicity. On the moral high ground of the grassy knoll, where the cinema used to be, where I first fell in love with Sean Connery in Dr. No, just slightly under age for an A film, we all gather and listen to the speeches. Most police dive across the road to the massive Lubyanka to be driven off in vans. Congratulations all round. Didnt we do well?
And gentlemen in England, now a-bed,
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here
..
That fought with us upon St Crispins Day. (Henry V, 1599, act IV, sc. III, line 57)
I look around at a Lewisham I no longer know. The centre is littered with tower blocks and others going up. To me it is a nightmare. Remember Fritz Langs Metropolis? Where are all these new people going to find room in only 7 proper libraries?

DAY THREE part two
Yes, it was a packed 3 days, but, if something is worth fighting for, it is worth giving your all. Someone HAS to do it!
A bus ride to Catford, where we pick up the car and home to thaw out the bones, drink hot chocolate and cuddle the cats in front of the fire.
The evening awaits and how surprisingly interesting that proves. With other campaigners we attend the fund raising concert at St Margarets Church, Lee for Age Exchange. First to say how wonderful are the Standages and what a privilege it is to hear their work in such a glorious environment.

Sir Ian Mills, Chair of the Trustees of the Age Exchange, introduces the concert but first is at pains to explain how it has all been approved at the Town Hall for the Blackheath Village Library to be housed in the Reminiscence Centre. The £500,000 that the alterations will cost is in place. Lewisham Council will make a one off grant, oh, really, how much? (FoI?) You will get significant privileges if you pay £30 pa to support the AE. There will be computer facilities. It will be open 6 days a week, 7 hours a day and staffed by fully trained volunteers. (Note to friend James, nobody said zip, but we were in church and so were the plans and the model.) Within 4/6 weeks there will be a package of information. Will it also tell us the following:- Who trains the volunteers and to what standard? How many books will be available? Will there be a large print selection? Will there be a reference section? When will it be ready? Who will pay for any cost overruns or extraneous bills? And what if AE fails financially?
No worries community, this is your project, a community project.

There are as more questions than answers at present. Nobody regretted the job losses, that is people losing their paid employment, let alone professional, experienced service.

The budget is required to be voted on by full Council on1st March 2011, so what. The decision is made. Its a done deal. Is this The Big Society? Is it finally government by committees of vested interests who catch the Councils eye and suit their agenda? Anyone outside these committees will still pay the bills but be on the outside looking in. Yet again, dear reader, conclusions are yours to make.

Back to the beginning, the alpha . You need a long spoon to sup with the devil, and Im with Dan Brown, they be demons . evil spirits, a malignant being of superhuman nature; a being of nature between gods and men; a person of superhuman or diabolical energy and skill Anyone going to guess the title of the concert? It was Angels and Devils. A gift!

Patricia Richardson
Minutes Secretary for LLL
Secretary of Users and Friends of Manor House Library

  The Largest Book Giveaway Ever

World Book Night is the event in which 20,000 members of the public will give away 48 copies of their favourite book. In total, one million books are expected to change hands on the night. The 5th March event is intended to focus attention on the use of books and the enjoyment which can come from them. Hopefully, that is still going to be the long term outcome, but the short term result is that it has annoyed the book retail trade. It believes that the one million books should have been new purchases from its premises and takes no account of any future improvement in sales which may be generated by the widespread (free) publicity for its products.

People have always given books away and lent them to other people so that the enjoyment can be shared. The work of the worlds public libraries is simply an extension and formalisation of this practice. The book trade benefits immensely from this and the growing tendency of those within the trade to attempt to restrict the activities of all those who consider books to be more than a source of profit will work to its long term disadvantage.

In spite of the sour response from many booksellers, the event has caught the imagination of the public and the associated Trafalgar Square activities on 4th March are expected to draw a huge crowd.

https://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/feb/23/world-book-night-public-reading-london

  Bromley Joins the Rush to Close Public Libraries

Bromley Council is considering the closure of 7 of it 15 libraries. The 7 threatened branches are believed to be the smaller ones. Several of them are near, or on, borough boundaries. Both Anerley and Penge Libraries are believed to be included in the list of closure candidates. The relevant scrutiny committee has recommended that a joint library service with Bexley be investigated to obtain an estimated saving of £350k - £550k. It is unclear how this saving will be achieved, but the closure of small libraries near the border with Bexley must be one possibility

https://cds.bromley.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=3388&T=10

AT Feb 2011

 

Eight Small Pieces from Camden's
"Save Our Libraries Meeting"
on 8th February

  From Danny Abse:
"The ghost of Hitler rejoices, for closing down libraries is only a genteel way of burning books"   From Martin Amis:
"Libraries are not a luxury,
they are essential to civilisation" From Julian Barnes:
"Like most writers, I had a childhood full
of weekly book borrowing and know the value of libraries isout of all proportion to their costs."   From Alan Bennett:
"Closing down libraries is child abuse" From Dame Margaret Drabble & Sir Michael Holroyd:
"You have won before in the fight against library closures and we know that you can win again. We all need libraries, because they are a public good, available to all of us, and we (personally) owe them more than we can say" From Helen Dunmore:
"They are foundation stones of education, culture and community. They are part of a heritage which is our responsibility to pass on to succeeding generations. I hope that there will always be teenagers doing homework in a warm, safe, public library" From Ester Freud:
"It is heartbreaking to think that libraries are under threat. When my children were small, our visit to the wonderful Keats Library was something we all looked forward to and the huge bag books we brought away with us fuelled our love of books, stories, learning in general" From Howard Jacobson:
"Borges said that he always imagined Paradise would be a kind of library. So how do we imagine a country in which there are no libraries? As a kind of hell."     Saturday 5th February                                                      

Saturday 5th Feb 2011, pushing off the crumpled bed sheets (no, not La Bercow) groping for the radio switch, R.4 with libraries as one of the headlines! That wakes you up! Turning the dial and hitting on LBC there is James Max, trying devils advocate AGAINST the libraries case, but being shot down in flames by his callers. No less than deserved, if you have to explain the value of libraries to professional, educated people despair does creep in. Remembering AGs e-mail I manage to think of the TV, something to do with 50, oh, it is 8.50 am and there are libraries, a pro and a con. Interestingly both interviewers are coming across as pro! The pro interviewee gets his case across well and says he is off to the read-in at Norbury library! The act is together again on BBC News 24 by 9.50 am and there we find Alan Gibbons and a childrens author, who nearly drops the ball, but is rescued by Alans experience and know how!
With the adrenalin well and truly flowing we are racing off to Sydenham by 11 am. The place is packed. Even the Library Service Manager and Cllr Best (Cabinet member for Communities) are present, as well as extra staff! Lots of faces we know, a childrens group in the corner singing their nursery rhymes happily, some people actually trying to implement the read-in and so much excitement in the air. Is this the Big Society? We have all given up our time, we know why we are there and why it is important. Any minister out there to comment on this fulfilment of policy?
Anthony introduces Lady Warnock, here to support the library and read from Death Sentence. It is difficult to hear because of the great buzz in the background, but we are so pleased she is there! Our local poet, Chrissie Gittens takes the stage and reads appropriately from her collection, especially to make the children laugh and the special composition on the loss of libraries. We listened to her short story, Just one of the girls, at 12.30 am on R.4, still going.
Anthony then calls for a big round of applause and thanks for the library staff. No quarrels there! We are then entertained by 2 members of the teenage reading group, followed by story telling, with a ukele, on Grow, grow, grow monster tomato accompanied by tomato shakers!

As we leave, getting through the melee and meeting more familiar faces, we see Sly and Reggie setting up outside, having come from Crofton Park. They look really respectable as urban pirates, maybe we all do! What a shame the Mayor is missing all this, in his own back yard, too.
Having been impeded by so much traffic we just make it to Crofton Park before closure. The library was overwhelmed by its visitors and we are heartily welcomed by all library staff. We missed Lindsey Davis (what a trooper, straight off to Blackheath Village.) Unfortunately the list of possible co-habitees to keep the library going seems to be doing the rounds. We thought the idea was to keep the library as a public service (1964 Museums and Public Libraries Act) but manage the money better! Where was the Audit Commission when you needed it? Who should supervise public spending? Down to us again?
Barely time for a quick bite, picking up friends and off to Grove Park. There, we are met by Sly and Reggie. It is time for another photo shoot. Two councillors are out in support, Cllrs. Clarke and Allison. Grove Park Library is a true experience, delightful inside, on open ground and full of mums, babies and children. Here we actually do the read-in and it is SO comfortable. More faces we know and books to borrow. Grove Park has a good collection! We all come away with a book! Sly and Reggie head off for Blackheath Village and later we start off for New Cross.
Blackheath Village Library was like the rest, over whelmed with visitors and new joiners. Blake Morrison made the introductions and concentrated on how valuable libraries were to those with health problems and dementia. Lucy Mangan read from the Reluctant Bride, followed by Father Nicholas of All Saints Church. Lindsey Davis had made it and read from Falcos dealing with the murder of a librarian, what else? Peter Greaves, a local resident, read a poem by Auden and the writer Jane Shilling, mud spattered from horse riding, spoke of the importance of libraries in her life.
We arrive at New Cross at the same time as our urban pirates and get some good pix on the road.

This small library is awash with people, more faces we know. It is well in hand and yet again, the Library Service Manager is on station, extra staff are out and one or two councillors present. Paul from Telegraph Hill was interesting to talk to, and helpful. Yet again there seemed to be a good collection of books. Those present were running interesting presentations. It gave time for a one minute rant. James explained the game plan and John explained how he was NOT arrested when decorating the library shutters with SAVE OUR LIBRARIES. Natch one thing leads to another and the read-in became a sit in. Well done them!!! Someone drew the short straw and it had to be the Library Service Manager, who stayed overnight along with security officers and the sitters in. Sympathetic friends, neighbours, library savers brought in food supplies and nobody died, BUT, meanwhile, back at Manor Lane Terrace, back in bed (I was tired, and getting older than I realise) who is on the TV? Before my eyes there is James grinning from his photo on the screen backed by his feisty words in defence of libraries. So BBC News 24 covers the lot, across the country, celebrities everywhere supporting the age old tradition of a library. It was on the radio too, but I was struggling to keep my eyes open and listen to the end of Chrissies skilful story on R.4.

Drifting off thoughts of sit ins at every library under threat manifested themselves. What could they do? Libraries belong to us, after all. Peter could be heard tapping away on the computer, getting visual material out and climbing into bed around 2.00am. What a day! What success! What dreams!

Patricia Richardson          

Leave the libraries alone. You dont understand their value - Philip Pullman

In a speech on 20th January, the author Philip Pullman gave a well crafted outline of the case for the defence of public libraries. Although he was concerned specifically about the plight of Oxfordshire libraries, his arguments apply to all libraries in the land. It is well worth a read at:

AT Jan 2011

  Quiet Reflections on Lewisham's Plight     "Happy New Year to one and all and it really is. As we all came out of the Christmas/Bacchanalian stupors, well, maybe not all, library campaigners in Lewisham were less isolated. Uncannily, like the rise of the armed skeletons in the story, campaigns across the land rose up. Legal action has been threatened. Our own elected Mayor is reported as advising other councils not to cut libraries. Why would he do that? Well, it is all down to you, campaigners, user groups, friends groups are all queering "his" pitch, "his" manor? It seems that if you threaten to close libraries we all rise up (refer skeleton myth) and challenge the proposals. Why did that surprise him? We have given the council REAL trouble before, so knew how to do it again.

That lesson is, keep on doing it.

Lewisham Council created its own problems, on top of the fiscal problems it had. There was no plan B for the libraries. Under pressure it has had to suggest the "community" model which has virtually no paid library staff, lots of volunteers and being co-ordinated with a community group and/or charity. The fact that these organisations are dependent on grants and fund raising which may be in short supply during an economic downturn along with public spending cuts seems to have escaped examination. To date there is no clear reply from the council on, eventually, how much money will truly be saved. It is still, clearly, all smoke and mirrors! Yet decision time is imminent. How can the Mayor, the Cabinet and other remaining councillors, in the interests of accountability and their own responsibilities, vote in favour? But then, they have done that before!!!!

In spite of huge opposition, a projected increase in the local population, primary and secondary schools full to overflowing, a commitment by central government to improved literacy and stronger communities this is the best our highly paid, very experienced officers come up with for the people of Lewisham.
Blackheath Village Library: In 2009/10 this library issued 64,766 items to 91,797 visitors. The plan is to move the library facility from its rented (£75,000 pa) building, sub-let that building and co-habit with the Age Exchange charity in its building. This building will be refurbished considerably, talk is of a £500,000 cost, thus saving both facilities for the people of Blackheath. To date it is not clear where the money is coming from, how it will be repaid, whether Lewisham Council will pay rent or what PLAN B is if the enterprise fails. The refurbishment is slated to take 18 months. Is this head banging time?

The Library Service will commit to 10 hours per week for each of these 5 "libraries." And for your money you get about 7000 books (currently 20,000+) and some computers. The management of the Age Exchange will require a body of 80 volunteers to run the whole thing, Monday - Saturday, all day, until 6pm. At present no evening or Sunday opening has been suggested.
Crofton Park Library issues 63,510 items pa to 82,528 visitors. It has been suggested that Darren Taylor of Eco Computer Systems, a social enterprise specialising in recycling computers, operates similarly out of Crofton Library. They sell 70% of the recycled computers to cover running costs and then use the remaining 30% and any surplus profits for community and charity projects. Currently the Pepys Resource Centre is their main project. They are in partnership with Hyde Housing and Lewisham Libraries. One thousand books are available at PRC and about 6/8 computers. Mr. Taylor was quoted in the local press as saying he could run 4 libraries on a similar pattern, but this seemed a big chunk to swallow in one go. We have no details of any funding from Lewisham, how much it already puts into PRC and what the start up costs were. Refurbishment and/or repairs were not mentioned either. The question of business failure MUST be catered for!
Sydenham Library lends 55,298 items pa to 65,742 visitors. The attempt by the local library campaigners to operate the service was not possible as they have no history of applying for grants etc. etc.
New Cross Library issues 37,189 items pa to 55,145 visitors.
Grove Park Library issues 40,288 items pa to 42,088 visitors.

Each library has different numbers of opening hours.
Some one needs to explain where all the volunteers will come from.
Who will manage volunteers and be legally responsible?
Who will underwrite the costs?

There are so many questions and you probably have some yourself. We and the council have now spent more than 6 months on this. It is true madness and ill behoves supposed adults to suggest this is the answer. It is insulting to every library user and tax payer in the borough. It is time the elected Mayor was reminded that he was elected by the majority of such people and owes it to them to tell his officers he cannot sell this idea and they need to come up with something he could sell.
The Daily Telegraph of 21/1/2023 had a nice piece on libraries by Robert Colvile. To quote him, what we all know "... libraries are not just another public service. They are the physical embodiment of the idea that knowledge is to be cherished, both for its own sake and for its power to change lives."
It is time this was publicly acknowledged by all politicians and civil servants with their commitment not to slash and burn. It is not the answer and never was."

The questions are not just related to the attitudes and policies of local government. There are questions to be answered by central government as well. For instance, in what way is it possible for a library service to provide a better service for the residents of its borough by closing libraries? That this is considered a possibility is clear from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport letter reproduced below. It shows a touching faith in the benevalence of local authorities or deep cynicism.

Patricia Richardson
Minutes Secretary of Libraries for Life for Londoners
Secretary of Users and Friends of Manor House Library
      The Swells for Sanderstead Library Story              

Residents, library supporters and the 1500 strong membership of Sanderstead Residents Association are actively opposing Croydon Council's plans to close Sanderstead library - one of six in the borough under threat.

Over 100 people, many of whom were children held a protest outside Sanderstead Library on Saturday 8th January 2011.

As part of an awareness-raising exercise, a petition signing event also took place outside the local Waitrose on Saturday 15th January.

Going forward, there continue to be leaflet circulations to households and local shops in the area which started in the middle of December. Many of the shops are also holding petitions to sign.

Local organisations, schools and community groups have been contacted to encourage them to show their support for Sanderstead library.

This flurry of activity will continue in earnest to ensure supporters' concerns are heard and listened to. In particular, it is hoped that the strength of local feeling against any closure will be noted at a public meeting on Wednesday 9th February.

As with all libraries under threat, Sanderstead library needs community support so could residents and library supporters please take the time to share their views and show support in aid of this invaluable asset to the community.

Tracie Parry

  Library Closure Solutions?

Some library user groups, e.g. Gloucestershire, Lewisham and Dorset, are considering legal measures to oppose library closures in their areas. Many groups are also calling for intervention from the Secretary of Statewho has a duty to ensure that provisions of the 1964 Public Libraries Act. One way that the Secretary of State could interveen is to acceed to the demands of Somerset library campaigners. These are calling for a national public inquiry into the threatened closures of hundreds of public libraries throughout the country. If the government does not respond by 24 January, they say they are ready to set it up themselves.

In London, this may not be necessary, if Boris Johnson is serious about taking on board the responsibility for the capitals public libraries. He has proposed that a Trust he is setting up should be given all Londons public libraries to run. Presumably, he is expecting that economies of scale will produce a big enough cost saving to eliminate the funding problems which individual Councils are facing.

Superficially, this seems to be an attractive proposition. However, many counties, which run large numbers of libraries, are also having library budget difficulties at present. Whether private donations will be able to fill any funding gap, now and in the future, is unknown. So, Boriss Trust idea needs careful scrutiny. There are many questions to be answered. For example: will the trust cherry-pick the libraries it takes on?

At least Boriss heart seems to be in the right place. Perhaps the London Councils have proved themselves unsuitable guardians of this part of our heritage and should be relieved of the responsibility. However, the overwhelming advantage of the present system is that it is subject to democratic control. The public do have some influence in the way that their library services are run. It is certainly extremely difficult to exercise that influence, because the quality of local democracy is often poor. Councillors are frequently inclined to put party loyalty before their duty to their ward residents. Nevertheless, it is still possible to impose the will of the populace onto those in authority. Will Boriss Trust remove this possibility and, effectively, degrade democracy further?

The government has spent a lot of time and effort disbanding unresponsive and inefficient quangos. What we do not want is another disguised one, full of the same type of self-important drones that inhabited the disbanded organisations. They are probably already forming a queue at Boris's back door.

There are very real dangers buried in the London Trust idea, but Boris needs to be given a hearing. Can he can persuade us that his Trust will perform any better than local Councils? Politicians find it easy to make promises, but far more difficult to deliver on them. Boris has wandered into a very difficult area and he is not the most serious of politicians.

Sources:
https://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/Save-Somerset-Libraries/173898925966598?v=wall&filter=2

AT Jan 2011

  The Localism Bill, laid before Parliament on the 10th January, is a package of reforms which is intended to devolve greater power and freedoms to Councils and neighbourhoods.

The Bill is intended to improve Councils freedom to act in the interest of their local communities through a new general power of competence. The new power will allow Councils to innovate and drive down costs more easily.
Moving power nearer to ordinary people must be an improvement in democracy, in theory. In practice, this is very dependent on the quality of the local authority. It is inevitable that there will be winners and losers. Obviously, this could be the start of yet another post code lottery, tending to further enhanse the areas run by responsive authorities and depress further those with unresponsive Councils.

Press release:
https://www.communities.gov.uk/news/newsroom/1794971
AT Jan 2011
 

At a heated meeting in Brent Town Hall on Thursday 6th January, Brent Council failed to provide any alternatives to their closure plans for six of their libraries. Suggestions that reduced opening hours should be considered as a way of saving the libraries were received with a great lack of enthusiasm by Councillors and Officers.

The Kensal Rise Library users group is urgently formulating counter proposals for the future of their library. They hope that they can persuade Brent Council to temper its hard line attitude and meet them half way.

  More Bad News from Brent?

The present tally of proposed library closures in Brent is six. Carefully not linked to these are initial proposals to redevelop the site of the large Willesden Library Centre. It is believed that this library will be demolished and a new building constructed. This will house a new library, together with offices and flats. The offices and flats will be necessary to help pay for the redevelopment, but also to provide more office accommodation for the Councils bureaucrats.

In the depths of a major recession, Brent Council has decided to build a plush new Civic Centre in Wembley. This grandiose scheme will be placed a few hundred yards from the existing Wembley Town Hall (to be redeveloped). No doubt, dispensing with the Wembley Town Hall Library at the same time was considered. However, this would have increased opposition to the far more important project of providing good accommodation for Brents Officers. Therefore, this scheme will include a new library as a replacement for the one at the Town Hall.

As part of the process of identifying the services and departments to be consolidated into the new Civic Centre, it was found that there was a need to also create a Service Hub in Willesden. The obvious place for this is the Willesden Library Centre after all, Council office accommodation is more essential than a public library service, isnt it? Again, better not remove the library completely, as the priority is to avoid opposition to upgrading the working conditions of the bureaucrats simply reduce its size and get rid of a few thousand books & some public access computers. It is all in a good cause and the library budget can be cut further.

The new Willesden development has been isolated from the main Brent library closure plan and, hence, from the consultation process associated with that. However, it materially affects the closure plans and must surely be included within that consultation. The second Brent Library Closure Consultation Meeting will take place at Brent Town Hall on 6 January starting at 6pm.

Background

AT
Jan 2010

  More London Libraries Under Threat

Three more London boroughs have announced that they are considering closing public libraries. These are:

Croydon
Sanderstead Library
Norbury Library
Shirley Library
Bradmore Green Library
Broad Green Library
South Norwood library

Richmond
Heathfield library

Wandsworth
York Gardens Library

Nationally
363 libraries are currently under threat or recently closed

AT Dec 2010

  Resistance to Kensal Rise Library Closure Grows

The users of Brents Kensal Rise Library have organised themselves to oppose the Councils plan to close their library. They now have a committee and are printing 4000 leaflets. A public meeting has been arranged (see banner advert, above) and fundraising events are being planned for January and February. In addition, they will take their case to Area Forum meetings in Queens Park and Harlesdon.

Elsewhere in Brent, it is the Lib Dems who are leading the fight against the planned devastating library cull.

Brent Council plans
Brent Lib Dem anit-closure petition

AT Dec 2010

 

 

Author Alan Gibbons has compared the Labour Secretary of State at the DCMS Andy Burnham's attitude to public library closures with that of the present Conservative Culture Minister, Ed Vaizey, and found them to be very similar.

In an open letter, Alan Gibbons quoted Ed Vaizey as saying at the time of the Wiral library closure controversy: "If Andy Burnham is not prepared to intervene when library provision is slashed in a local authority such as the Wirral, it is clear that he is ignoring his responsibilities as secretary of state. In the face of an even greater threat to public libraries, Ed Vaizey is exhibiting the same cavalier disregard for his responsibilities. In the letter, also signed by authors such as Philip Pullman and Carol Ann Duffy, Gibbons has called on the Government to prevent councils inflicting cuts which amount to cultural vandalism.

AT Dec 2010

  Chaos and Violence at Lewisham Town Hall 30th November 2010

We was there! As we crossed the road we remarked how few people were outside the Town Hall. Not so! Rounding the corner we viewed a small police presence warily regarding newcomers, already protecting the front of the Civic Suite (in darkness and totally inaptly named), a large bunch of demonstrators in the middle and more security/police (difficult to identify) near the Town Hall main entrance.

There were many familiar faces, banners and placards. Are we still challenging the elected representatives after all these years? Why do they not represent the electorate and usefully use our taxes? The debauchery of elected representation into the naked aggression of unrestricted power was soon to become apparent. The embodiment of this is an elected Mayor. There are historical comparisons, back to the Normans and the Tudors, but you have to look at barons and power seekers.

We discovered we needed to join the queue to gain entrance to the Public Gallery to ask our supplementary questions and because of this we were allowed to jump the queue. Still queueing were library campaigners.

Once inside a polite frisking took place, but, hey, I have been frisked in better places than this! The lobby was awash with council security and old friends like AB, Cllr Best, and best friend Steve Gough. They really do make use of him, and more later.

Inch by inch we were able to make the journey to the Public Gallery to join the other 12 people. A few more followed, about 20 in all.

At 7.25pm the Chamber was pretty empty then an alarm, followed by a disembodied voice, declaring smoke on the premises, EVACUATE. Wearily we rose to follow instructions, never to return. Who set off the smoke bomb (was it in the lobby?) Anybody know? Was it a plant? Was it a signal? I think I have seen too many movies of the Bourne variety. A Lisbeth Salander would have been most useful and where is Blomkvist when you need a superior investigative journalist?

Back down the stairs, well, almost. Some fracas broke out involving a library campaigner and a senior councillor with cabinet portfolio. Of course, security and the rest piled on top of the campaigner and apparently threw him out. Doors flashed open and closed, yellow jackets dashed to and fro behind the frosted glass and we were told to clear the stairs for emergency circumstances. We had thought WE were an emergency circumstance to be evacuated. Apparently we were just in the way.

We were to-ing and fro-ing until we were told to go back to the public gallery. Once there we were denied access as there were still 3 perpetrators freewheeling around the Chamber and one was hanging from the balcony.

Suddenly there appeared several small officers with riot shields as big as themselves, who did gain access. John Hamilton had already got in. We were all barred. The linguistic skills of the council staff on duty totally failed them and anger broke out amongst the ordinary members of the public. Unfortunately staff lurched from the patronising to the downright insulting, back to Lewisham Council! John was not evacuated. We were not allowed in. WHY? I appreciate the staff had been on duty for a long time without proper breaks or food, well, council, that is another of your responsibilities.

Back down the stairs again to muster in the lobby. By now one of the front windows was well and truly smashed. Blue lights flashed from numerous police vehicles blockading the Town Hall and closing the South Circular. Two mounted officers were ready and waiting.

Dont you just love it, for our own safety we were ushered into a side room with a water fountain. Actually, we could not have been safer. We, included about half a dozen, and, eventually, having refreshed ourselves, we crept out. Nobody noticed!

What we had missed was the human assault on the Town Hall. A report from a long term regular library campaigner confirmed that a security guard had, somewhat unskilfully, informed the queue that no more people would be allowed access to the Public Gallery. On the back of the council refusing to provide an annex for the public to view the council meeting and the grossly inappropriate fashion of the announcement this went down like a lead balloon, or a firecracker, even. Provocative or what? Light the blue touch paper and retreat. Not quite. Humanity launched itself at the Town Hall. Some of the older members of the library fraternity in the queue were caught in the crossfire and were injured. The greatly increased police presence just did what they do. Please try to view the excellent coverage by London Tonight which had its considerable coverage going out at 10.30pm. Even better was the coverage and comment this evening. Funny how Mayor Bullock found time to issue a statement on the governments deferring its housing benefit cut. Well, he would, wouldnt he?

Having lost all touch with reality the councillors and many officers, safely incarcerated, isolated, in the Chamber, voted on budget proposals the public did not want, having excluded the public. It was a full sweep. All Labour councillors did their duty to Mayor, party and whip. The two Tories and one Green voted against. The Lib-Dems abstained, and there is a lot of that about!

Well, was the public excluded? Our part of the public was excluded and in spite of numerous attempts to get sense and decisions out of council staff, Steve Gough, police officers and demands to be let back in, we were denied. But John was not removed. Well done, John! Why? If the public was removed and not allowed in why was one of the public in? This needs serious examination and answers, as the police were enforcing this, but denying responsibility. Stitch up?

A self declared (he really did not look the part) superintendent, having spoken to Steve Gough, approached us to say we would be escorted off the premises, by him as we were in such danger. He revealed he had been forced to call in police from all over London to deal with this very serious incident. We never saw him again. Police dashed back and forth across the lobby with riot shields and ordinary shields. They were regularly outwitted by the same youngsters who had a knack of gaining entry and dashing up stairs to be brought down again.

Two smart, fast girls with us completely diverted attention by one rushing through doors and pelting down a corridor followed by a police and security horde while the other made a dash across the lobby. She fell to a rugby tackle and was handcuffed. No doubt that will be on her CV. But, she has witnesses.

So, there you have it. I just wish I was still a fast, smart girl, but, have taken up my pen on aging. That is my contribution to the age of the death of democracy. I am supported in this belief by Mayor Bullock, who told the Evening Standard, Dont give people the impression that with the stroke of a pen we can solve the problem. This is the end of local government as we know it.

And there is the power what gives him the right and the power to have made this decision? Where do we, the people fit in his new State? And what is this new State?

Maybe its time he handed over the reins of that power to a real problem solving candidate

Patricia Richardson

Minutes Secretary of LLL

Secretary of The Users and Friends of Manor House Library

  Democracy Under Threat in Lewisham Democracy is messy, but it gets a whole lot messier when elected representatives eschew their electoral responsibilities to the electorate.

It all went down big time at Lewisham Town Hall tonight. After the disrupted Mayor and Cabinet meeting of the 17th November, it was clear the Mayor opted for a large police presence this evening. Unfortunately, this resulted in keeping us all out!
But, to continue. We greeted our friends and colleagues en route to the queue to gain entrance to the meeting. As favoured people, with supplementary questions to ask, we were escorted to the front. In spite of being so well known to the council, we still had to be "frisked". The lobby was full of officers, security, council staff...... We made it to the lift. We made it to the public gallery, where, in spite of the long queue outside there were only about 15 occupants who had made it through the frisking, thus far. Having collected our papers, a disembodied voice repeated and repeated there was fire in the building.
Exit one and all! Not quite.... We were all stuck on the stairs, the smoke filtered through and a fracas broke out between a member of the public and a member of the cabinet.
Yellow flash jackets rushed hither and thither behind the frosted glass! What was happening?
We were all asked to return upstairs and back to the public gallery. But it was not to be. Three members of the public were causing mayhem in the council chamber and one was hanging from the balcony. We were told this could endanger us and we should leave. It was quite worrying when several small police officers arrived with their riot shields.

There was chaos. Back in the lobby, the smashed window at the entrance, about 20 police officers defending the entrance, police women everywhere, mounted police officers outside, the South Circular blocked with police vehicles....it was mayhem - and no one seemed to be in charge!
Half a dozen of us, actually keen to ask our supplementary questions in the council meeting ended up secreted in a side room with a water facility. We were treated in a patronising, inappropriate manner by virtually everyone. The main man, a superintendent in mufti, explained why we had to leave for our own safety and he would escort us out. He had called out reinforcements from all over London. Then he promptly disappeared! It was a hugely disappointing experience.
We never did make it to the council chamber. The police in the lobby were outmanoeuvred by several smart, fast girls. What an experience! Will this be reported?

Do we live in a democratic society? Patricia Richardson   Arts Council Aquires Libraries Culture minister Ed Vaizey has confirmed that Arts Council England (ACE) is likely to take on responsibilities currently held by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA).

A number of the key functions that are currently undertaken by the MLA are to transfer to ACE by the end of March 2012, subject to the approval of its National Council.

If approved, ACE will be responsible for the Renaissance in the Regions initiative; work to develop museums and libraries through accreditation and designation; and statutory cultural property functions.

Additional funding worth more than £46m a year will be provided from 2012-13 to help ACE deliver the work, with £1.3m extra support going directly to the British Museum to co-ordinate the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

  Barking & Dagenham Joins the Rush to Close Libraries

The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham has announced plans to close half of its libraries as part of the budget cuts necessary to accommodate its reduced government funding.The libraries to be closed are Wantz Library, Rush Green Library, Robert Jeyes Library, Markyate Library and a fifth TBD facility. These libraries are to be replaced by two new large libraries. The plans are to be considered by Members of the Safer and Stronger Community Select Committee at a Town Hall meeting early next month.

Read more:

  Lewisham's Mayor and Cabinet Meeting 17th November 2010? Democracy is messy ... but is aggravated by a sense of humour failure ...

Cold, damp and dark, but, we all turned up on the steps of the Town Hall on 17th November, even though our issue, The 5 Library Closures, had been deferred. Others were present to defend their own issues and the loss of jobs and services threatened. The banners were out in force. The chanting was loud and speeches were made.
It was important for library campaigners to turn out. Don't ever look as if you have gone away.
The Mayor's position had filtered down as follows, "After studying the results of our consultation to close 5 libraries before attending the council's Public Accounts Committee earlier this week, I wanted to share with you my thoughts regarding the current library proposals as they stand at the moment, what I said to Public Accounts and what I am minded to do next Wednesday at the Mayor and Cabinet.

I did not seek election as your Mayor in order to close down libraries. However, the scale of the challenge and size of the cuts we are faced with due to decisions taken by this Tory/LibDem Government means that we are faced with very difficult choices in order to protect the most vulnerable in our community.
I believe in libraries and the difference they can make which is why over £6.5m has been spent in the last 4 years in providing 21st century library facilities across Lewisham. The current proposals do not provide enough detail on the alternative community library proposals and on the transitional costs of moving to these altrnatives. I am therefore minded next week to defer a decision on this proposal for up to 2 months to provide time for those proposals to be firmed up and to allow those who want to be involved to come forward and have further discussions with the council." Yes, it is a bit regal, but at least we have a statement from himself!
Please read between the lines, please interpret the language, please remember he knew what was coming fiscally and it is all on record, well before the elections, please remember the government suddenly finds £7bn to support Ireland and half a billion more to go into the EU...... money is no object! Reported today interest rates on our debt are runnning at £5m per hour. Is someone printing the stuff?!!!

The plan is to hold an Open Day at each of the threatened libraries and encourage community groups to attend to see how they would fit in with a much reduced library in each building and exist on the grants they currently live on. We have already investigated grants received by these groups from the council. They fluctuate year on year.
WHERE IS THE GUARANTEE of this kind of funding or of any other funding? The council is also considering leasing these buildings (forget the asset transfers first suggested, by the council). And, did I get it right that they could use some of the saved money to plough back into these new ventures?
We are still dealing with a volunteer only service for these centres, with limited library service support.

Bless the campaigners of each library. It was clear to them that the fault lines and holes in these suggestions could completely kill off a library presence. When a council provides a borough wide service for all its residents the whole service has to be considered and the service has to be for everyone. Fortunately campaigners are supporting first principles.

The double committee room on the ground floor had been suitably arranged with its chairs, staff and "bouncers" (who would not have looked out of place outside some Soho nightclub.) It seemed an attempt to foil an assault on the Mayor and Cabinet. As it happened the assaults remained verbal, very loud but verbal chanting, heckling, tub thumping.

We managed to acquire an agenda and piles of paper, and I mean piles of paper. Fortunately it does contain some plums for us and the complete report on library closures.
Cllr Maslin, Cabinet member for Resources, was invited to kick off the proceedings and lost his audience as soon as he launched into a political speech to blame the current government for what he had to propose. We blame them all and it really is about time they got the message. He ploughed on, the occasional word getting through. The Mayor asked for quiet and after the second ask did not work he adjourned the meeting.

None of us knew where we were going with this, as he did not say. We found out it was a half hour adjournment, try again and if that failed the meeting would be reconvened the following morning at 10.30 am. without the public. Whence democracy?
Oh, a slender shaft of light appeared before we were shut down. The chanters in the lobby were not let in. The chanters in the committee room demanded their presence. The Mayor denied they had been excluded so those in the room went to get their compatriots, and said "Thank you, Steve." As I said, messy!
During the adjournment James had the sense to approach the Mayor and it was agreed the petitions be presented as soon as we started. So James (New Cross - 5063 signatures);

Annabel (Sydenham, another 1838 signatures) and Cllr Bonavia (Blackheath - more signatures) handed them over. Sophie (Grove Park) had to leave earlier, not having time to outlive the adjournment, so her part in democracy was lost. But, they will get in later. There are over 20,000 signatures. The Your Lewisham, Your Say survey apparently only sported just over 2000 responses. This does not look good, Council.

The room settled to try again, and we mostly did hear non-council people present their views, but, disruption let rip once the politicians tried to have their say. To be honest some of the heckling was really funny, but Steve did not respond to being asked to cut his pay. So, they were all asked to take pay cuts. Faces of Cabinet members were a picture, but, nobody was allowed to take a photo. Steve remained thunderous, but has learned not to swear while the mikes are on.

We spilled out into the darknes, collecting banners and other propery connected with a demonstration. Are we downhearted? Not us!

It is quite clear there is a complete disconnect between the electors and the elected. Where is the sense of public duty, public accountability, public service by elected members? The gap between us and them is truly unbridgeable at the moment. Yes, Democracy is messy and not perfect, but it needs to be given space and a hearing. We may then all hear each other. Library campaigners are certainly doing that! And the members of the public present were quite good-humoured when they left.

Worse, it is not just Europe receiving large chunks of our money. The council continues with its local assemblies, only a few years old (unlike the library service.) This feature of council operation requires a large number of staff to supervise and organise. It continues. The locality funding for each ward, although cut, will continue at £7,500 pa. now children, 18 wards times £7,500 and we have spent - yes, £135,000. On top of that each ward will receive £18,500 pa from the Mayor's Fund (whose fund? who knew he had all that money?) so, try again £18,500 times 18 wards and we have £333,000. And the proposal is to close 5 libraries, for ever?

Councillors really have a lot of thinking to do and not just about libraries.

Patricia Richardson
Minutes secretary of LLL
Secretary of the Users and Friends of Manor House Library   LLL Comments on the London Borough of Lewishams Proposed Library Closures 14/11/2022

Or not? We shall see!

It had been quite noticeable that the council officer class constantly moved position on each of the libraries as the campaign gained momentum. It looked like a divide and rule operation (usual tactics from Lewisham, if you have been a close observer, for at least the last 10 years.) When this failed and the campaign grew stronger and was united we stand the initial proposal and reasoning actually undermined their case. They undoubtedly blinked first. It was NOT sound strategy to demand that 5 libraries had to close, to save the staffing costs, to meet lower government funding and then try to divide and rule when it became more difficult. As pointed out before, 5 libraries had to close to meet the staffing requirements and to meet the spending cuts 20 staff had to go. So, back to TINA, there is no alternative. There was no plan B. All that could be offered were outreach centres with mostly volunteers!

Well, surprise, surprise, TINA is being rested, for the present. That girl had much to do recently, so, give her a break. No doubt she is needed elsewhere. Out of the ether on the morning of 11/11/2022 came news that Lewisham Council had withdrawn 5 library closures from the agenda at the Mayor and Cabinet meeting for 17th November. Therefore it would not go forward to the full Council (also delayed) now scheduled for 29th November. Councillors had quizzed the Mayor about library closures and that was the decision. Remember, we have one man one vote in the London borough of Lewisham. The Mayor is the man, and he has the vote! No reports have been received that he swore at anyone this time. It seems the proposal providers are not ready. All alternatives across the borough need to be quantified and more work needs to be done. Therefore, this will re-appear in February 2011.

Carry on Blinking?

Was this a cunning plan, of any kind, or a defence mechanism? Do they think campaigners will vanish? Dream on and keep blinking! E-information was circulated and, no worries, everyone is committed to standing their ground. Nobody is going away.
One has to reflect how the loss of a library really gets people going and makes them angry, even those who do not use libraries. How all these highly paid officers continually fail, yet keep their jobs is mind blowing. You would think the authorities would learn this lesson and save themselves a great deal of aggro. (Aside - it certainly damages the Karma.)

My advice to you out there, who are facing library closures, is to do what we have done. Follow the story on www.librarylondon.org and go for what you want. Do not take their deals. This is all OUR money they are dispersing. It is not the governments money. It is not the Councils money. It is not the Mayors money. It is not the councillors money. It most certainly is not the officers money. It belongs to all of us and needs to be better spent. Power to the people? I wish!

Finally, this time only, as knowing Lewisham council as I do, Ill be back. Follow the story etc. etc.
My advice for the moment, look out for TINA. She pops up any and everywhere and may be visiting a library service near you. She may NOT be blinking!!!

Patricia Richardson,
Minutes Secretary of LLL
and Secretary of the Users &Friends of Manor House Library   Brent to Close Half its Libraries?  

Labour controlled Brent Council has followed Lewishams lead and has prepared plans to close six of its twelve libraries. Its Director of Environment & Neighbourhood Services, Sue Harper, will present a paper to the administration on Monday 15th Nov. which will give details the closure program.

Ms Harper, with her tongue firmly in her cheek, has suggested that the project will improve the quality of library services in Brent. Apparently, this miracle is to be achieved by co-locating the remaining libraries with other council services Officer-speak for reducing the library service offered to the public still further.

The objective of the closure program is to save £1 million. However, it is very similar to a scheme which the Officers proposed several years ago. That program was rejected by the Council and it looks as though the Officers are simply trying again.

The libraries under threat are: Neasden, Preston and Cricklewood

AT 11/11/10

 

Grove Park Library, Lewisham Closure
- second and final consultation meeting,

27th October 2010

Anyone seen Roy Clare? (Who he? Why Chief Executive of Museums, Libraries and Archives, keep up!)

Fat chance! It seems community is a word written on a piece of paper, not a living, vibrant, breathing group of humanity. Well, this group of humanity assembled in the historically named W.G. Grace Hall, but it certainly was not cricket. At one point we thought we had parts in Assault on Precinct 13 as the hall was assailed by other representatives of the community, so it was no wonder fewer people had turned up than at the first meeting. They obviously knew something we did not!

Malcolm Smith took the floor again and said what a privilege it had all been. Calm down in the back row. He introduced the panel and poor Ms. Buckton rose again to repeat the message but with the added frisson of George Osbornes intervention on the Comprehensive Spending Review, 20th October. I have to be honest, I am beginning to feel quite sorry for her, but wont let that get in the way.

The 3 Ward councillors were invited to speak first. David Britton reminded us that this was the third attempt to close Grove Park Library. Having noticed our presence and that of Anne and Alan, not to mention Frank, he said he did not want protesters from other libraries. The fact that we had all stood together in 2000; the fact that the whole library service would be affected; the fact that we had used Grove Park library; the fact that 20 staff could lose their jobs .. He added that the decision to close had been taken. One librarian had already been made redundant from April. He knew the majority of residents wished for no change. He suggested the use of community groups be used as co-residents, with the library. Of course there is no guarantee that such groups will be able to continue in the current financial climate. As a Conservative Councillor he was able to say that the government had advised front line services were to be untouched you heard it here first? It must be recorded that Cllr Britton was the nominated Conservative on the Mayors Commission on Libraries and Learning. He had not attended once. I know that because I went to every meeting. Ms. B. rose again to state stoutly that NO staff redundancies had been issued to library staff. Officers were consulting with the Union and non-Unionised staff. The report would go in with the main report.

Councillor Allison, also Conservative, robustly defended the library staying where it was, as it was. She listed cuts that were already taking place, without consultation. She suggested other non-essential council spending should take the brunt of cuts first e.g. Lewishams own publication, Lewisham Life. The spend matches library cuts so well. We were also reminded of the Carnival March due to take place on Saturday.

Councillor Clarke (Labour) had a family interest in keeping the library as well as it being a superb local asset. Actually, she was quite fearful this would be lost. But, change was essential. She amplified her previous suggestion of making it a home for the Childrens Centre, presently in a building next door. Sharing the library building might help survival of the library. However, it would be a much smaller service and require money spent. The relinquished empty building would then have to be dealt with. Could it be sub-let? We are going round in those circles AGAIN. The loss of staff was also a severe problem. She outlined the possibilities available to the other libraries. Faithful readers everywhere, you know what they are! None of these was possible in Grove Park. Being built on Metropolitan Open Land was another complication. Quite rightly she pointed out that Manor House Library was in a better area but had oodles of dosh spent on it.

Sophie, lead local campaigner, took the floor and asked that better arrangements be made for public meetings. A dark night, in a lonely Community Hall (the assailants struck later) was not conducive to attracting mothers with families or the elderly. The petition currently had 1700 signatures. It had become clear to her, while collecting signatures, that none of the community wished to lose the library or its staff. If the Council continued to ignore us there were compelling reasons to believe this would lead to unintended, damaging consequences. She suggested that putting in a café or other facilities might generate more income. The local schools used the libraries both in and out of school. Books and IT were provided. It should be staffed by trained personnel. With no disrespect to volunteers that is was what they were, volunteers. They did not have the same conditions and responsibilities as employed staff. Using volunteers to conduct the Summer Reading Challenge would be a tremendous undertaking. The Council should look at other staff cuts, if necessary, e.g.middle management, those on higher salaries. The area around the library was somewhat isolated and the idea of trekking to Downham Library was really not feasible. On balance, none of this made any sense.

Ms. B. rose again .. to try to make sense of nonsense. We were back to action replay, but going round in those circles, dizzy making to say the least! Just a few points she supported Downham Library, no problem with that, unless you live far away in Winn Road, or parts of Baring Road and Burnt Ash Hill, or go to Marvels Lane or Coopers Lane Schools. Explaining the investment in other libraries in better off areas was more challenging. As for taking staff from Manor House, that might spread staff too thinly! It has been admitted before that there really is no space in local schools to develop public libraries. It was admitted that not all library staff were qualified librarians anyway. As for slashing Senior managers, and their costs, well, my dears, that is a SEPARATE 25% CUT.

There followed public questions, all on the same lines as before.

Using the Ringway Community Centre was not an option as that was in bad condition. A new Community Centre was required. Bob wanted to know, as had others before him, why we were there at all. This had all been thrashed out at the first meeting! Nobody wants to see the library closed, or reduced. Why had the Council not made improvements when it had the money? As the saving through closure was minimal, why bother? He called this arrant nonsense, and, he is not wrong.

A former librarian with the service spoke up to point out that ONCE UPON A TIME Lewisham Borough sported 18 libraries (each with at least 1 qualified librarian), now 12. Were they seriously suggesting 7?

Libraries had been easy targets over the years and the idea of volunteers was definitely the end of the slippery slope.

I cannot go on with all the points, mentioned before, on why this was all a totally crass idea. It is so depressing and unedifying and unnecessary. Aaargh!!! You can tell I used to read Beano and Dandy!!!

Importantly, and new, was that our former librarian winkled out of them that it would cost at least £20,000 to demolish the building. Why demolish it? Malcolm, the man who was privileged, said it could not be left as a focal point for vandalism. By then the vandals had already been thumping on the wire meshed windows and throwing a missile into the our hall. This was a fully occupied hall, full of so-called adults!

Cllr Best used her time, not necessarily to rubbish the service on offer in Grove Park, but almost (not happy news for the library staff who work so hard to do the best for all the library users AND ARE A BEACON in an outpost of the Lewisham Empire.) Yet again (ref Crofton Park) she mentioned that Full Council would be meeting on 29th November. Opportunity for a question Peter (one of those naughty protesters from out of area) asked if the date had been altered. Chris stated that it had, as the scrutiny committees needed more time. So, my friends, what does that tell you? Confirmation of this came from Governance.

Now, dead important, Council Question Time deadline date is now midnight 14th November. Get your questions on library closures (and anything else that is Council business, which may annoy you at present) into the mix.

E-mail Kevin Flaherty as follows [email protected]

Keep up the pressure, you have everything to gain, nothing to lose.

Patricia Richardson

Minutes Secretary of LLL

Secretary of Users and Friends of Manor House Library

 

CARNIVAL PROCESSION in SUPPORT of LEWISHAM'S PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Saturday 30 October

We gathered from all corners of Lewisham in cheerful and carnival mood. The sun finally blazed down from the arctic blue sky and blessed us until we reached the darkening portals of the Town Hall There was something medieval in the brightly coloured clothes, the dressed up children of all ages, the whistles, the drum, the horn. Even St Hilda accompanied us from the splendidly wrought banner, carried by the St Hildas Church contingent. We were truly a motley crew. The lead was eventually taken by the coffin in which lay the body of Lewisham libraries, carried by the appropriately attired pall bearers.

Do look at the photo, and see who leapt aboard Sir Steves ship, the coffin. Who are they? They be Cllr Curran, who stands to lose Sydenham Library in his ward and has made a good fist of supporting his constituents, thus far. Heidi Alexander, MP for Lewisham East, where both Grove Park Library and Blackheath Village Library may close and Joan Ruddock, MP for Deptford which has Crofton Park and New Cross Library to close. The latter two did not march, but Cllr Curran did while distributing his leaflets, but then he had news for us all, outside the Town Hall..Two other Councillors also attended at the Town Hall:- Cllr Paul Bell of Telegraph Hill and Cllr Bonavia of Blackheath Ward.

Off we set, in remarkably good humour, whistles blowing, chanting slogans and making them up as we went along. It was noisy, we held up the traffic and the traditional police escort handled us extremely well, even on our journey down the South Circular. They deserve our thanks, but we, in return, were biddable, as London Folk are. Our own stewards did sterling work along the route.

No ifs, no buts, no library cuts. We have had that before. Then, my partner on the Pensioners Forum banner introduced Steve Bullock here us say, library closures, no way! The children blew their whistles to match the chants!

Not quite Battlestar Galactica and her rag tag fleet but, the car horns were hooting, bus passengers waved and grinned, residents opened their windows and peeped from their front doors, shopkeepers left their businesses We were noisy and drew attention to ourselves.

Cllr Maines was there at the beginning and Cllr Morrison managed to help with a banner, making it to our destination. Cllr Clarke skipped along with the marchers. When you consider how many wards are affected by these closures it was surprising to see so few councillors. If any other was there and has been omitted, let us know, and we will ensure your name is recorded for posterity.

About 160 set off from Crofton Park and those unable to do the 2 mile walk, or not having enough time, joined us outside the Town Hall. One young woman with child and sleeping baby was amazed at herself, I have never done anything like this before, she confided.

As we approached we were overshadowed by the Council buildings and the air grew cold. People waiting in droves for buses on one side of the road just gawped. This is all getting very Pied Piper, but, we were not swallowed up, we stood our ground and listened, finally, in disbelief, to Cllr Curran. He urged us on, encouraged our campaign, trumpeted the 20,000 signatures on the petitions (10% of the electorate, dont you know) but finished by saying that whatever happened he would vote for the proposed Council Budget (whatever is in it?)

How fitting to finish on that note. He has diligently and consistently backed his constituents in their campaign, advising them well. But, when push comes to shove.

Congratulations to the organisers. This takes much hard work and dedication, but, then libraries are important. How can we call ourselves a civilised society and deprive little kids (and bigger kids, too) of something so precious? Just a political comment, how many better libraries would you get for the near half a billion extra we will have to stump up for the EU?

Patricia Richardson

Minutes Secretary LLL

Secretary of the Users and Friends of Manor House Library

 

  Lewisham Round 2 Consultation Meeting:
Proposed Closure of New Cross Library All Saints, (leaving the jokes to your imagination) yes another chilly church venue, but this one sported a portable mike, usually like gold dust. We had Malcolm Smith for the evening, but then, he is local. He managed marginally better this time. But, no sign of Roy Clare. And so to our cast of characters, and werent they just full of character! More were present, over 60 souls, and new faces too. All Saints is somewhat up the road from the library as opposed to us being across the park before.

Ms. Buckton conducted the intro but was able to refer to the CSR as delivered by George, our Chancellor, last Wednesday. Any hope that 7.1% cut per annum would give us some respite was kicked into touch. Guidelines here, oh yes, years one and two see the heaviest cuts first, although we do not know the percentage yet.

The mike, a proper one courtesy of the church, NOTE, was passed to our first eloquent, knowledgeable speaker who said it all really, New Cross is a deprived area that needs a library. It provides books, IT and a welcoming place to go. Nobody voted Labour for libraries to be closed. Why spend so much on consultants? There should be no personal benefit here, cut top wages, cut top jobs, cut out the elected Mayor syndrome (and therefore the salary.) It was well known that Mayor Bullock publicised probable cuts before the election. It was well known that developers could pay money to the Council under 106 to ease the passage of local development, why could that money not be used? Libraries are the great leveller and the money could be found.

Cheers all round.

Ms. B. said all services were facing a 25% cut, but added they were seeking to look at providing some use WITHIN THE CURRENT BUILDING, books and IT. See how something creeps in? Same as Crofton Park, but, read on and see how the attitude seems to bend and sway. Our second chap also cited nothing in New Cross, a common refrain and after over 40 years of a Labour Council! How important a library is to the community in these conditions. Closing it would be a waste of money. Ms. B reaffirmed that there was no prioritisation/no exception to consideration of what was to be cut.

We then had a delightful continental touch from a tiny French lady, and we could hear the tumbrils rumbling in the background. Off with his head is also redolent of Alice in Wonderland. Typically, she regarded the cuts as a fallacy. Felt, as did the Guardian, that women would be most badly affected and compared library closures to the burning of books, whoever did either!

The next chap was tired of going round in circles. This applied to the peculiar logic preferred at the Crofton Park meeting. The expensive, refurbished libraries cannot take a hit because they have had money spent on them. So, we must hit on those which need money spent on them. Purely coincidence but the battery went in the mike. Amazingly a spare was found. This enabled us to hear the accusation of spending on local roads to the tune of £1.4bn. Mr. Smith had a take on this one, his department. The New Cross/Old Kent Road realignment (taking out the one-way system and putting it back to what it was when I went to school down the road) was TFL money. The Kender Street changes, oh yes, that was Lewisham capital money and therefore not available for libraries. How much money? I do not know. But sometimes eye-watering amounts of money are tossed about.

No wonder S